Nighttime Design in Hong Kong

To enhance Hong Kong’s image as a world-class city, both the government and private sector sector make substantial investments in the built environment. There are two main components to our built environment: the daytime and the nighttime. In the community, what holds it together at night, what makes it function, and what makes it worthwhile?

Exterior lighting at night plays an important role in urban design. A well-designed nighttime environment will enhance safety and security, stimulate economic growth, improve public health, and facilitate social interaction in cities around the world. There is growing demand for a human-centric nighttime design in Hong Kong that can embrace the city’s 24-hour vibrancy, as well as its inclusive cultural. This human-centric approach starts to be recognized as a more human considerable method in recent years overseas. It is worth to include it in the nighttime design in addition to the traditional lighting standard compliance on lux level and uniformity requirements. Separate 3-min-read sharing will be posted for more details on the human-centric approach and the traditional lighting standard compliance approach.

Nighttime, night time or night-time? Which of them are correct?

“Nighttime” and “night-time” are the only correct compound word forms. The latter a British variant spelled with a hyphen. We never write “nighttime” as two separate words.

How do we define “nighttime”?

The concept of “nighttime” refers to the period of time during which the sun disappears, and a period of darkness begins, lasting until sunrise the following morning.

Nighttime design has a close correlation with UNSDGs United Nations Sustainable Development Goal SDG7 Affordable and Clean Energy – Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all and SDG11 Sustainable Cities and Communities – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, as we understand the importance of energy conservation and that of keeping people safe. These concepts are encouraged internationally to be incorporated into exterior lighting design to shape a better living environment in the future.

Light Creates Attractive Places

An extensive range of lighting design applications are involved in nighttime lighting, including landscape lighting, façade lighting, semi-covered area lighting, street lighting, and master lighting planning. There are different considerations that need to be taken into account when it comes to different purposes, zones, and functions such as commercial office districts, mall open spaces, housing estates, promenades and public parks. Ultimately, light for outdoors is to create attractive places for the public.

In urban environments, light promotes public life at night. In addition to the need for safety and security, nighttime illumination also fulfils cultural and commercial purposes. We can see the lighting design in the Hong Kong community is improving and becomes more international committed. Create attractive places of an unforgettable visitor experience with the well-planned nighttime lighting in outdoor areas is the latest favorable trend.

Let's re-enjoy the nighttime

During the time of recovery from the outbreak of covid, it is beneficial to re-encourage people to go out at night for having personal health exercise or social activities to re-enjoy the nighttime. A new nighttime design practice is a vital response to the after-dark experience. Proposing new lighting solutions based on an in-depth analysis when performing lighting design, for example, local mobility, spatial elements and activities. In the future, Hong Kong will no longer be named as an over-lit city.

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